Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what comparative assessment her Department has made of the level of public funding allocated to (a) animal-based research and (b) non-animal New Approach Methodologies in each of the last five years.
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) invests to support research which can lead to alternatives, such as organ-on-a-chip, cell-based assays, functional genomics and computer modelling. These are categorised as basic research, so calculating funding for New Approach Methodologies specifically is not possible. The Government has announced £75m of funding to accelerate alternatives and innovation, with new capabilities being developed across the UK. UKRI also invests in the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs).